A prospective student sought out my guidance with the following question the other day:

“Is Trinity ‘clickish’?”

My immediate reply was no. But now, after some consideration, I realize that such a brief answer might be misleading.

YOU: Oh, no, Madi. Does that mean Trinity is in fact “clickish”!?
ME: I will tactfully avoid answering your question by posing a new question. And then responding that question for you. (or at least strongly assisting you in coming to your own uninfluenced conclusion...)

question: Are you “clickish”?

I see it like this.

There are clickish people and unclickish people.

The clickish types, who we will call clickans awareous, care about clicks.

The unclickish species, clickans ignoramous, couldn’t care less.

The clickans awareous has many friends of similar appearance and thought process and very few interests. Clickans awareouses go through life worrying about being “in” - associated with a certain group also called a “crowd.” They come in all shapes and sizes and are often found in medium-sized groupings of 5-10 individuals at pep-rallies, on sports teams, and smoking pot behind the gymnasium. Their conversations chiefly consist of bashing other sub-groups of clickans awareouses, including the adult variety - clickans been-there-done-thatous.

While this species might appear secure in their environment, DON’T BE FOOLED. Clickans awareous groups take painstaking measures to distinguish an original way of life; unfortunately, their repeated failures lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-consciousness and social nervousness. Additionally, every sub-group in this species (jocks, goths, cool kids, nerds, drama kids, skaters, seniors, freshman, etc.) fervently strives to differentiate themselves as unique, exclusive, and innovative compared to other sub-groups. While locally they might appear successful in this quest for originality, their failure is certain. Each region of human inhabitance has the SAME EXACT sub-groups.

So you can be certain that whenever you see one group of overenthusiastic, partially dressed, uncommonly pretty females standing in the front row of the stadium flirting with a group of males who, not far away, play with the skin off a dead pig, you know that there are about one million, nay I say, one gazillion and two identical sub-groups of clickans awareouses in the stadiums around the globe.

Now for a species I am more familiar with.

The clickans ignoramous has two or three close, reliable friends and many interests. They bounce from group to group, activity to activity ignoring the clickans awareous boundries. It is important to note that this species recognizes the existence of “clicks” - they just ignore them.

Interestingly enough, individuals of this species are comprised of a mixture of multiple sub-groups of the clickans awareous species. The difference here is that they do not identify themselves with any one sub-group.

Clickans ignoramouses embrace the variety in life. While sometimes feeling apart from “the group” because they don’t spend every waking minute trying to “fit in,” clickans ignoramouses usually mature feeling comparatively secure in their identity.

Of course I won’t taint your opinion on these two species by divulging which species I consider myself, but if those girls in front don’t sit down so that I can watch the game there is going to be some major ass kicking…and no, I’m not going to stand up to watch the game (my tax dollars pay for these bleachers) so quit telling me to “get up and “support the guys”…when’s the last time I saw any of those bozos support a women’s basketball game? Not to mention, I believe my idea of “support” differs greatly from yours. No, with all due respect, I’ll show my support for more admirable causes; in the mean time, can I just watch the game?

perhaps now i am ready to answer the following question: “Is Trinty ‘clickish’?”

No doubt about it, Trinity is a small school. HOWEVER, you shouldn’t assume, even for a moment, that because of its size Trinity, or any school for that matter, is “clickish.”

No, on the contrary. Because of its size, Trinity provides opportunities for you to participate in many activities and be a part of many groups (if you so choose).

Or you can stick with your one little group safely in your little comfort zone and embrace the “clickishness” of life!

Finally, to the good young fellow who originally posed this question, i offer my congratulations! you, my friend, did not seem like one subject to the fate of a clickans awareous. You appeared to be a stable, yet open-minded guy with a bold and sincere personality. The ease in which you started a conversation with a perfect stranger, namely me, bodes well for your college experience. You seemed intellegent and ready to diversify yourself. And for you, I doubt Trinity would feel “clickish.”

And for posing what I found to be a very thought provoking, memory provoking, and apparently thirst provoking (as i am now on my third dr.pepper since sitting down to write this blog) question you have gained the famed title as the featured guest on...

Reflections-of-greatness: people i’ve influenced
Good Young Clickans Ignoramous (of whom i do not posses a photo)

good luck in college – fare ye well!

that is all.
mad ignoramous